Lets face it, we can all remember a time in our childhood when we wanted to be older... more independent, able to make our own decisions, and do whatever... whenever. I can remember visiting Calvin College for 'Young Authors' in 3rd-5th grade. After attending, I said to myself, "I can't wait for college! I'm going to go to Calvin for... (probably elementary education)" Haha, wow, how my way of thinking has changed over the years! The only reason I probably wanted to be in college was because everyone I saw seemed to be having so much fun and be so happy. I think of the movie 'Thirteen Going On Thirty' when the main character says "I wanna be thirty... thirty, flirty, and thriving" and then her wish comes true, but she realizes that she missed out and made mistakes over her high school years because she was too busy wishing to be older and more popular than she was. Seems like no matter what age, people are always wishing they were something different... kids wish they were teenagers, teenagers wish they were adults, adults wish they were kids, and well old people would do anything to have one less wrinkle or gray hair on their head.
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Why is it that we're always wishing we were something that we're not? Why can't we just be happy with where we are in life at this given moment and live it as if it were our last? This is something that I've been learning more and more as I get older. As I've moved to Chattanooga and have been learning how to be more independent and fend for myself more, I realize that life is short... I only have this opportunity once in my life. Who in their thirties is able to just drop everything and move to Chattanooga for a summer and figure things out? Not many. People in their thirties have other opportunities to take advantage of... like starting a career, buying a house, getting married, or starting a family. I'm realizing that at every age, there are opportunities for us to take advantage of. I've been learning that I must be thankful for every minute I have being nineteen, because I have so many opportunities to take advantage of and learn from. Why spend any of my minutes wishing I was older... I'll get there someday, and at that point, I'll probably be wishing I was nineteen again.
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Let me just say, I hate the acronym YOLO because I think teenagers take it and use it to justify any stupid actions they feel necessary in order to 'live it up.' But when I was at camp Sharp Top, my cousin said, "Why isn't it You Live Only Once instead of You Only Live Once? - I mean listen to the connotation." Switching a few words around completely changes the way the phrase is said. 'You Only Live Once' suggests permission to do anything you want, because well, you only live once- so might as well experience it! You Live Only Once suggests thought into the decisions you make, seeing as you only have one life- live it with purpose.
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It is true that many secular musicians today try to draw out the message in their songs, such as 'Live Like You're Dying' , 'If Today Was Your Last Day' , and 'When the Sand Runs Out'. I am not saying that these songs don't have a great message to share, but many of them are missing the big picture. Of course I want to live to the fullest potential! Of course I want to touch people's lives and leave a legacy... who doesn't? Of course I want to experience all those little small things in life that make life worth living. In fact, today Matt asked me online, "Are there any goals you have that if you don't accomplish by the time you die you'll be very disappointed by?"Wow, what an incredibly deep question to ask Matt (didn't think when I told you to ask me something you wanted to know, it would be this. ;) My response would have been different a while ago... maybe something like "Go to school, move to a big city, become successful, become famous... don't get married because it will ruin my career... don't have kids because it will ruin my career.... blah, blah, blah... live for myself basically."But seriously what kind of depressing life would that be? I could live for myself and the success of myself without ever reaching out to anyone around me. I could live a life without God, but seriously what would be the point in that? It's like those pencils they used to hand out in school for prizes with an eraser on each side, saying 'Life without Jesus is like this pencil... No Point.' As far as the goals and things I want to accomplish before I die... "I honestly don't think I'd be disappointed if I died today, because I've done something I've always wanted to do; move away and experience a new way of life, independence. Of course I'm not going to do everything I want. I think I'd be happy for the time I did have... spending it with my family and taking the risks that I did take. But if I die when I'm old, I would probably want to have gotten married and started a family- loved them with everything I have. Hopefully have gone to school for something and have a decent job of some sort to be able to support my family, but also something I enjoy and love waking up to go to every day. I think I'd be disappointed in myself if I never reached out to the people around me and didn't take every opportunity I had to do so. Yeah, starting a business would be great, but honestly family matters more to me than that I think."
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For so long I've been trying to plan out my life. For so long I have not been dependent on God to provide me the paths to walk down. I've learned that this life is a sad life, full of anxiety and worry, because trying to control every situation and everything that happens to you is exhausting... it is worthless. I've found that a life dependent on God is so much more fulfilling. It is a mystery waiting to be solved. It is a gift being unwrapped each day. No matter how independent I become, no matter how much I grow up and lean less and less on my parents for help, I will always depend upon a Father in Heaven who knows best for me. What a relief to know that no matter how old I am, I am always being guided by a Father who has a plan for me way greater than the plan I have for myself.
~
Yesterday was a great day. Despite my unfortunate event with my convertible. Have I mentioned I do not like owning a convertible? So, Chattanooga, like Michigan, has been waiting on rain. Yesterday as I was getting ready for work, I heard some thunder outside, but didn't really think that much of it. I thought 'Oh thunder, but no rain.' That is until I looked out my window to find it was down pouring. OH NO! I had left my top down the day before and hadn't put it back up. So after i spent a whole like hour getting ready for work- kinking my hair and putting it up, planning out my red, white, and blue apparel... I ran outside without thinking to grab an umbrella or any sort of protection against the buckets of water coming down. I think that I almost got struck by lightning... I have never heard such close thunder in all my life! I hopped in the car, started her up and slowly but surely Connie's top went up. Next for the windows... this was an even slower process. I ran back inside and grabbed some towels and my work stuff and headed out. My windows were all fogged up and the whole interior of the car was soaked. I dried everything off as best as I could and tried to air-condition the rest dry. I got to work safely and Connie dried off eventually. Now I just have to deal with the smell of wet car. What an adventure! Work was great, and I dried off as I moved about. I got out of work at about 7:30 and headed over to Anna's house to watch fireworks with some girls. It was great to meet some new people and we even danced a little bit with her brothers. Her brothers were so sweet! They made me miss Heath and Devin a ton! We had so much fun on the deck watching fireworks and hula-hooping. They had this great hula-hoop that had flashing red, white, and blue lights when you use it. Turns out I still hold the record for hula-hooping even at age nineteen! Anyway, as I look at David and Zach (the brothers) and Devin and Heath I am so thankful for their awesome creativity, their zest for life, the awesome opportunities they will be confronted with. I pray for them as they grow up (Heath is already practically a man) despite the challenges and doubts they have, that they'll grow into the men God wants them to be... always turning back to Jesus. For a life without Him is really Pointless.
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Why is it that we're always wishing we were something that we're not? Why can't we just be happy with where we are in life at this given moment and live it as if it were our last? This is something that I've been learning more and more as I get older. As I've moved to Chattanooga and have been learning how to be more independent and fend for myself more, I realize that life is short... I only have this opportunity once in my life. Who in their thirties is able to just drop everything and move to Chattanooga for a summer and figure things out? Not many. People in their thirties have other opportunities to take advantage of... like starting a career, buying a house, getting married, or starting a family. I'm realizing that at every age, there are opportunities for us to take advantage of. I've been learning that I must be thankful for every minute I have being nineteen, because I have so many opportunities to take advantage of and learn from. Why spend any of my minutes wishing I was older... I'll get there someday, and at that point, I'll probably be wishing I was nineteen again.
~
Let me just say, I hate the acronym YOLO because I think teenagers take it and use it to justify any stupid actions they feel necessary in order to 'live it up.' But when I was at camp Sharp Top, my cousin said, "Why isn't it You Live Only Once instead of You Only Live Once? - I mean listen to the connotation." Switching a few words around completely changes the way the phrase is said. 'You Only Live Once' suggests permission to do anything you want, because well, you only live once- so might as well experience it! You Live Only Once suggests thought into the decisions you make, seeing as you only have one life- live it with purpose.
~
It is true that many secular musicians today try to draw out the message in their songs, such as 'Live Like You're Dying' , 'If Today Was Your Last Day' , and 'When the Sand Runs Out'. I am not saying that these songs don't have a great message to share, but many of them are missing the big picture. Of course I want to live to the fullest potential! Of course I want to touch people's lives and leave a legacy... who doesn't? Of course I want to experience all those little small things in life that make life worth living. In fact, today Matt asked me online, "Are there any goals you have that if you don't accomplish by the time you die you'll be very disappointed by?"Wow, what an incredibly deep question to ask Matt (didn't think when I told you to ask me something you wanted to know, it would be this. ;) My response would have been different a while ago... maybe something like "Go to school, move to a big city, become successful, become famous... don't get married because it will ruin my career... don't have kids because it will ruin my career.... blah, blah, blah... live for myself basically."But seriously what kind of depressing life would that be? I could live for myself and the success of myself without ever reaching out to anyone around me. I could live a life without God, but seriously what would be the point in that? It's like those pencils they used to hand out in school for prizes with an eraser on each side, saying 'Life without Jesus is like this pencil... No Point.' As far as the goals and things I want to accomplish before I die... "I honestly don't think I'd be disappointed if I died today, because I've done something I've always wanted to do; move away and experience a new way of life, independence. Of course I'm not going to do everything I want. I think I'd be happy for the time I did have... spending it with my family and taking the risks that I did take. But if I die when I'm old, I would probably want to have gotten married and started a family- loved them with everything I have. Hopefully have gone to school for something and have a decent job of some sort to be able to support my family, but also something I enjoy and love waking up to go to every day. I think I'd be disappointed in myself if I never reached out to the people around me and didn't take every opportunity I had to do so. Yeah, starting a business would be great, but honestly family matters more to me than that I think."
~
For so long I've been trying to plan out my life. For so long I have not been dependent on God to provide me the paths to walk down. I've learned that this life is a sad life, full of anxiety and worry, because trying to control every situation and everything that happens to you is exhausting... it is worthless. I've found that a life dependent on God is so much more fulfilling. It is a mystery waiting to be solved. It is a gift being unwrapped each day. No matter how independent I become, no matter how much I grow up and lean less and less on my parents for help, I will always depend upon a Father in Heaven who knows best for me. What a relief to know that no matter how old I am, I am always being guided by a Father who has a plan for me way greater than the plan I have for myself.
~
Yesterday was a great day. Despite my unfortunate event with my convertible. Have I mentioned I do not like owning a convertible? So, Chattanooga, like Michigan, has been waiting on rain. Yesterday as I was getting ready for work, I heard some thunder outside, but didn't really think that much of it. I thought 'Oh thunder, but no rain.' That is until I looked out my window to find it was down pouring. OH NO! I had left my top down the day before and hadn't put it back up. So after i spent a whole like hour getting ready for work- kinking my hair and putting it up, planning out my red, white, and blue apparel... I ran outside without thinking to grab an umbrella or any sort of protection against the buckets of water coming down. I think that I almost got struck by lightning... I have never heard such close thunder in all my life! I hopped in the car, started her up and slowly but surely Connie's top went up. Next for the windows... this was an even slower process. I ran back inside and grabbed some towels and my work stuff and headed out. My windows were all fogged up and the whole interior of the car was soaked. I dried everything off as best as I could and tried to air-condition the rest dry. I got to work safely and Connie dried off eventually. Now I just have to deal with the smell of wet car. What an adventure! Work was great, and I dried off as I moved about. I got out of work at about 7:30 and headed over to Anna's house to watch fireworks with some girls. It was great to meet some new people and we even danced a little bit with her brothers. Her brothers were so sweet! They made me miss Heath and Devin a ton! We had so much fun on the deck watching fireworks and hula-hooping. They had this great hula-hoop that had flashing red, white, and blue lights when you use it. Turns out I still hold the record for hula-hooping even at age nineteen! Anyway, as I look at David and Zach (the brothers) and Devin and Heath I am so thankful for their awesome creativity, their zest for life, the awesome opportunities they will be confronted with. I pray for them as they grow up (Heath is already practically a man) despite the challenges and doubts they have, that they'll grow into the men God wants them to be... always turning back to Jesus. For a life without Him is really Pointless.
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(Me before the rain started)
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So as I celebrate Independence Day, I also celebrate independence, life, crazy moments in life like getting soaked in a thunderstorm, and opportunities. May God use these things to help us grow into the people he wants us to be.
ahhh i was just talking about how much i hate the way YOLO is used. love the post carmen!
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